Escape device



Nov. ll,` 1952 H. a. roBlAs 2,617,287

ESCAPE DEVICE Filed Maron 1s, 1949 4 2 srmEfrs-smm 1 Tewvpygp obcaf ATToRwE/v Nv l1, .1952 -H.'B. ToBlAs 2,617,287

ESCAPE DEVICE Filed Maron 1s, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 I N TOR.

Patented Nov. 11, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ESCAPE DEVICE Herrmann B. Tobias, Washington, D. C. Application March 18, 1949, Serial No. 82,261

(Cl. l-145) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

4 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to escape devices and particularly to an escape device for refrigerators of the walk-in type, refrigerator trucks, and the like.

It is highly desirable of course to maintain refrigerator doors normally closed to avoid the entrance of heat to the interior of the refrigerator and consequently, it is usual to provide such doors with latches. Additionally, it is usual to provide a locking means for the latch so as to prevent unauthorized opening of the refrigerator, particularly at night and on holidays when the refrigerator is unattended. It sometimes happens that the refrigerator door is thus locked inadvertently while an employee is inside the refrigerator attending to his duties, often resulting in serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

Provision has heretofore been made for operating a refrigerator latch from the interior of the refrigerator to permit one to escape who has been locked therein by reason of the door being inadvertently closed. However, when a lock is applied to the usual latch so as to prevent unauthorized entry the escape provision is rendered ineffective. It is an object of the present invention to provide an escape device operable from the interior of an inclosure, such as a refrigerator, which will release the latch of the door, regardless of whether or not a padlock or other type of lock is applied to the latch or keeper to prevent its normal operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the mechanism;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the latch casing and related parts, removed from the door, and shown partly in section.

As heretofore indicated, the present invention relates to a latch mechanism for the door of a container, such as walk-in refrigerators and the like, and in the present illustration, the container is indicated generally by the numeral I, and its hinged door or closure by the numeral 2. Both amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) the door and closure are, of course, of double- Walled construction and provided with suitable heat insulating material, such as indicated by the numeral 3.

The latch mechanism comprises a keeper mounted on the door jamb and a latch mounted on the free edge 0f the door. The keeper consists of an inverted box-like casing 4, having its open side disposed against the body of the container, adjacent the door opening and secured thereto by means of suitable screws 5. Slidably mounted in the casing 4, is a keeper 6, provided with a rearwardly extending shaft 1, encompassed by a coil spring 8. The free end of the keeper shaft is slidably mounted in an opening 9 at one side of the casing 4 and the keeper 6 extends through an opening I0, in the opposite side thereof. Both the front and rear faces of the keeper 6 are rounded or beveled, as indicated by the numeral II, and the extent of the protrusion of the keeper 6 beyond the casing 4, is limited by a screw I2, which is fixed to a portion of the keeper within the casing. The keeper 6 is provided with a vertically extending opening I3,

adapted to receive a headed pin I4, as shown in Figure 2, and the lower end of this pin is perforated for vthe reception of the hasp of a padlock I5. The location of the aperture I3, in the keeper 6, is just beyond the adjacent side wall of the casing 4, when the keeper is in normal position, so that when the pin I4 is located therein, the keeper is fixed so that it cannot be depressed againstthe pressure of its spring 8.

'Ihe casing for the latch element is indicated by the numeral IIS and may be secured to the exterior wall of the door 2, adjacent its free edge, by means of suitable screwsy I1, in alignment with the casing 4 and keeper E. Slidably mounted in the casing I 6, is a latch bar I8 provided with longitudinally spaced shoulders I9, with which cooperate a cam 2U, attached to or formed integrally with a sleeve 2I, extending through the body of the door and removably held in place thereon by means of a nut 22. The nut 22 may be heldin position by means of a locking screw 22 and is provided with a handle portion 22a to provide for rotating the` sleeve 2I about its axis.

operation with the latch casing to terminate thef movement of the handle in one direction. A spring 28 is interposed between the free end of the detent 25 and the adjacent portion of the latch casing I6, so as to normally hold the combined detent 25 and handle 26 in the position shown in Figure 1, with the stop 21 in engagement with the latch casing. The free end of the detent 25 is rounded as indicated by numeral 29, so as to cooperate with one of the rounded surfaces II. On the keeper 6, and force the keeper to the left (Figure 1) when the handle 26 is drawn outwardly against the pressure of spring 28. In this operation, it will be apparent that by one movement of the hand the keeper is moved to inoperative position and the latch I8 freed so that the door 2 may be swung outward- 1y. In the reverse operation, the door 2 is simply moved to closed position. the rear face Aof the latch I8 engaging the outer rounded nose II of the keeper 6 and forcing it out of the path of the latch as the door is swnng closed. After the door reaches its closed position, the spring 8 will automatically force the keeper 6 to the right (Figure 1) thereby causing it to engage the -outer face of the latch I6, and maintain the door in its closed position.

In order for a person to operate the latchrmechanism in the event that the door 2 should be closed while the person is within the refrigerator,

a push rod 30 is slidably .mounted within the sleeve 2i and is provided with an operating knob 3|. The opposite end of the rod 30, is in engagement with the f-ree end of the handle 26, and is provided with a transversely extending pin 32, to prevent accidental displacement oi the rod from its position within the sleeve 2 I, jIt will be apparent that by merely pressing the rod 30 outwardly through the medium of its knob 3l the handle 26 may be swung about its pivot `so as to cause the detent 29 to ca m the Akeeper 6 outof its eiective or operative position, thereby freeing the latch I8 and permitting the door to be swung outwardly about its hinge.

As already stated, it frequently becomes desirable to lock a refrigerator against unauthorized entry, and the pin I4 and padlock I5 serve this purpose inasmuch as they immobilize the keeper and thus prevent normal release of the door. However, a person locked within the refrigerator may nevertheless obtain his release b y swinging the handle 22a, so as to rotate the sleeve ZI and its cam 20 to move the latch I8 to the right (Figure 1) and to move its f ree end out of cooperating relationship with the keeper 6, thereby rendering the door free to swing to open position about its hinge regardless of the fact that the keeper is locked in fixed position.

From the foregoing description taken in loonnection with the attached drawings, it will be apparent that I have devised a latch mechanism for refrigerators and other containers, whereby provision is made for the escape of a perSO'l either inadvertently 0r intentionally locked therein, either by normal Operation if the mechanism from the interior 0f the container by means ef the longitudinally movable rod 3Q, or abnormally by rotating the sleeve 2l, so as to move the latch I8 to inoperative position in the event that normal operation of the latch mechanism is prevented by reason of the insertion of the pin I4 and the application of a padlock I5 or other locking means.

I claim:

l. A latch mechanism for association with a container and its door, comprising a springpressed keeper, a movably-mounted latch for cooperation with the keeper, a manually-operable detent for depressing the keeper against the pressure of its spring, a cam for operating said latch, a rod extending to the interior of the container for operating the detent, and a sleeve surrounding the rod and having one end secured to the cam and the other end extending into the container.

2. A latch mechanism for association with a container and its door, comprising a springpressed keeper, a movably-mounted latch for cooperation with the keeper, a manually-operable detent for depressing the keeper against the pressure of its spring, a lock for securing said keeper against movement, a cam for operating said latch, a rod extending to the interior of the container for operating the detent, and a sleeve surrounding the rod and having one end secured f to the cam and the other end extending into the container.

3. A latch mechanism for association with a container and its door, comprising a springpressed keeper, a movably mounted latch for cooperation with the keeper, a manually-operable detent for depressing the keeper against the pressure of its spring, a cam for operating said latch, a rod extending to the interior of the container for operating the detent. means for preventing movement of the keeper, and a sleeve surrounding the rod and having one end secured to the cam and the other end extending into the container.

4. A latch mechanism for association with a container and its door, comprising a springpressed keeper, a longitudinally reciprocable latch mounted for cooperation with the keeper, a manually-operable detent for depressing the -keeper against the pressure of its spring, a cam for operating said latch, a rod extending to the interior of the container for operating the detent, means for .preventing movement of the keeper, and a sleeve surrounding the rod and having one end secured to the cam and the other end extending into the container.

HERRMANN B. TOBIAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 62,908 Upton Mar. 1,2, 1867 688,934 Couture Dec. 17, 1901 1,244,910 Smith Oct. 30, 1917 1,867,694 Cramer July 19, 1932 2,043,787 Wild June 9, 1936 2,189,992 Pearce f e Feb. 13, 1940 2,331,403 Leonard Oct. 1 2, 1943 2,340,470 Haseltine Feb. 1, 1944 Clair 5, 

